Along the lines of egg whites, chia foam
Whipped egg whites are often used to leaven pancakes, light cakes, baked or steamed desserts. I didn't have Chia seeds in 2009 when at the time I made the suggestion to Sharonk, and completely forgot about it until I stumbled across it today. Egg whites work in that they are whipped until stiff making a protein foam and then ingredients (grated nuts, flour an the like) are folded in or it's folded into batter. Either way. If chia gel were strained so the seeds don't plug the nozzle, and placed in a pressure container for whip cream and charged with CO2 gas, the extruded chia foam (think unscented shaving cream) might be used to hold ingredients as they bake or are floated over boiling water. Well folks, I've got Chia seeds thanks to Shiao Ping. Sharon suggests "To make chia seed gel, take 2 tablespoons of chia seed and mix it into 8 ounces of water. Stir with a whisk or fork every 5-10 minutes for a half hour... let the chia seed gel sit for 12 hours before using."
The Plan: I could substitute it for stiff egg white in a regular gluten recipe and find a starting point. As far as gluten free recipes go (you can see where this is going... gluten free, egg free, yeast free) I wouldn't know what to add to the foam or even if it would work. (Maybe when I get that far....) I have acquired chia seeds and can make the gel, and do have the container and gas but have no idea what to do next. (ok, no plan.) I suppose if the gel keeps two weeks in the fridge, I have two weeks to play around with it. I was just wondering if Sharonk or anyone had some suggestions where I might start... (Hint hint)
First I want to make seed free gel, then pressurize it and test the properties of chia gel foam. Bake it, boil it, steam it, fry it. Seeing what happens. Sound like fun?
It is Carnival Tuesday, anything can happen!
Comments
What an extraordinary experiment!
I'm looking forward to reading about the outcome...
Although: Chia is considered an exotic superfood here (in Holland) and it is very expensive. Would linseed do the trick as well? After all, linseed forms gel too, in the same way as far as I can tell.
I just put 60g (1/3c) of chia seeds to 480g (2c) water and they've been soaking for about an hour now. At first I used 30g and one cup of water but I figured the seeds themselves were soaking up too much water and if I wanted enough gel after straining out the seeds, I just as well could make more.
I've been reading on the gel and so far haven't seen anything about foaming the stuff. Flax? Why not? We could run it at the same time! get those seeds a soaking dear and get your CO2 ready! It's "myth busting time!" (Don't ask me which myth.)
You may need more seeds to water -- have to check on the ratios.
... you can use it to style your hair! :)
Apparently, the straining is quite a challenge, and several people mention squeezing it through pantyhose. And that it's easier to strain when hot.
Get "my CO2" ready?
Eh...
Edited to add: I also found this:
Flax Seed Egg Replacer
*Replacer for 1 egg
1 TBS flax seed (ground)
3 TBS water
- Method #1: Simmer together on top of stove for about 5 minutes until the consistency reaches a thick, egg-white like consistency.
- Method #2: Blend ingredients together in a blender or food processor until the mixture is thick and creamy. Refrigerate.
(found it here).I have done this with flax seed. I works great!
Hi, Mini:
Just out of curiosity, CO2 from.......??? Fire extinguisher in your house? ;)
Yippee
Hi Mini,
My curiosity is right behind you on this one, but maybe try whipping it conventionally to see if it will actually trap air before using the Co2 whipper. I used to use these whippers all the time when I was a barman and the mess they can make if everything is not so can be horrific. Just a note of caution before you proceed, but looking forward to hearing your results.
Good luck,
Franko
and reminds me of tapioca pudding, heavy on the pearls but clear/grey. CO2 cartridges come in a box of 10 for half liter or one liter size bottles. I'm using the small bottle.
Gelled Chia gel. This stuff gets thicker? Oh gosh. Like "cut with a knife?" Oh no! I want to sieve this stuff first. Panty hose, I think I have a new pair of knee sock hose to donate to the cause. When does it go solid? Right now it is still fluid-ish. If it gets cold from the gas (upon releasing it into the bottle) it just might set it.
Ok, just might try whipping first conventionally (with the seeds) Thanks, Franko
Tried whipping some. Took 100g (100mg) seedy gel and took out my mixing wand. Put on the extra whip attachment and began to gently beat air into it at the lowest setting. This went on for a minute and I could see the gel around the seeds just seem to move away from the beater not trapping any air at all. It was as if the gel moved out of the way.
Feel like I'm back to square one. The only difference in the two (mass amount of chia gel and 100g of abused chia gel) is that one looks a bit more mangled than the other. The nuked one is still fluid but a little bit thicker now.
On to picking the seeds out. The stocking trick...
Mini,
the formation of foam in egg whites is due to proteins (maybe the denaturation of ovoglobulins?), while the gel in seeds is almost always formed by soluble fibers. I guess it's really impossible trapping air in that gel, but it can still be used to trap water and make it act as a binder.
but I guess not.
I attended an Okinawan tea ceremony. The Okinawans make a kind of "cappucino" tea and the foam is made from an infusion of roasted rice.
Then a bamboo wisk is used in a wooden bowl to whip it into a froth.
I was in the deep throws of cooking deprivation and got the thing to whip into quite stiff peaks. The infusion started out as quite liquid, but then did , indeed hold stiff peaks.
I've always wondered about the science behind this, because it does not seem like the rice water should do this. Yet it does.
Maybe it is the bamboo (?) Maybe the solution needs to be more liquid and then it will whip(?) I don't know.
Worth pondering...
(looks a lot like a mini broom) and ... and ... and ...
This stuff just moves out of the way. I was hoping with so much water, to carbonate that water. I will mill this over in my brain for a while and figure it out.
to separate the seeds from the gel. I put my 440g of Chia gel into a nylon, doubled it over with a wooden spoon and twisted the spoon around and around until it would twist no longer.
We got laugh cramps in the kitchen.
My son started to scrape the bag of goo with a plastic spoon while I tried to hang on to it. We managed to get about 50ml of seedless water. Well, too little to put into the vacuum canister and it is much thinner than the gel around the seeds. I think all I did was press water out of the fibrous material surrounding the seeds. I will put this into the blender... nothing. I drank it, why let it go to waste? No taste, but water tastes better. My son thought I was making experiments with exotic cocktails. Na ya... it's carnival!
The chia gel I will work into bread, shouldn't take long.
Bummer, I was really fired up. Really interesting stuff this Chia gel. Stays wet. Is Flax any easier? I put the gel into the refrigerator.
both flax and psyllium have the same problem.
You could finely grind the chia seeds before soaking and get even more gel. When I did it with psyllium seeds the next morning I got an almost solid blob.
I'll try that. If I can't separate them, make them smaller, like dust particles. Genius! :)
I could try that.
And today I thought I'd bake a loaf with it so I can keep experimenting. I combined a soaker using the Chia gel and altus. I thought that might be interesting to try something while I'm this far along. I took some of the goop two tablespoons to be exact and in one came a pinch of baking power. I fried them like little pancakes, browning both sides and letting them cool to set up. The one with BP was twice as high but the flatter one set better. They both tasted a little needy. As they didn't set enough I was counting on the heating of the altus for some kind of factor) I threw them back into the bread dough and proceeded to wing it with a recipe.
Keeping my favorite ratios in the back of my head, I added spices & seeds to the Chia-altus mixture, mature sourdough also with altus and rye flour and put the bowl on the scales. I then measured an appropriate amount of flour for 150g starter, 550g rye and the rest AP wheat. I had to play with the amounts of water until I got the flour wet and I mixed slowly letting the flour pull the water from the chia gel. After about an hour rest in went the salt and some more water. After a couple of hours rise, I rolled the dough into 200g of green pumpkin seeds and placed into my sauce pan. It was more risen than usual but gee, it did have all that Chia bulk in there and when my boys looked at me and the rise I simply said, "exoskeleton."
To make a story short, I just took the top sauce pan off the loaf to let out the steam and low and behold! I don't think I've ever had such a high loaf before! It is just gorgeous! I didn't like the extra time working the flour in -- had to take it out of the bowl and bench knead it a little with wet hands. But Wow! I still have to run the loaf thru the house testers gauntlet but I think... I think it will come out in flying roasted colors! Watching my temps not to go over 200°C. It's still in the oven....
Romancing the seeds
Hi Mini Oven,
I was reading through this and thought - Aquafaba? I think I't do what you were experimenting for. I know vegans are using it as a substitute for egg whites, I've read it whips up and can even be used to bake merangues
No Chia here in Laos. Not yet...
So what is Aguafaba? Sounds like a brand name and what's in it? Anyone try spraying it from a CO2 canister? (whipping cream dispenser)
Bean juice eh? (I'm still reading...) Good to know and how timely!!! I have a bag of black beans tickling my grey matter, might save the juice and whip it up. :)
Not only the obvious... but the seeds that inspire in more ways than one.
What if I separated the bean juice when I make chile and reintroduce it as a meringue to bake or cook on top? Cheese meringue?
Garlic meringue? Pepper meringue? Quiche? Oh my gosh the brain cells are stimulated! (I'm not ready to get old!) :)
Now why not just call it heated bean juice? Are chickpeas jealous?
Enjoying the read... http://www.aquafaba.com/faq.html
Day 2, I've cooked up my dried black beans (stood in water overnight) strained off the cooking water to whip and the cold beans will get lightly chopped and added to Sunday's cinn. bread.
"Mixer?" (turns head to eyeball the new Electrolux)
"Get ready." (mixer gasps as the twinkle in Mini's eyes grows brighter)